Dinner

Top 15 Vegan Halloween Treats

October 31, 2018 By julia 1 Comment

I’ve searched the net, so you don’t have to, for spooky, cute, creepy and 100% vegan halloween treats. Creep out your guests with these yummy ideas from a few of my favourite food bloggers out there in the blogosphere.

Death By Chocolate by Hot For Food

A deathly delicious smoothie that feels sinful to eat… from Lauren Toyota over at Hot For Food. Her Youtube channel is packed with inspirational and funny vegan-ness.

Severed Hand Punch by Edgy Veg

Candice from Edgy Veg always comes up with crazy ideas. Her Youtube channel is full of awesomeness too. This is just creepy.

Vegan Milky Way by Minimalist Baker

Dana, over at the Minimalist Baker, is one of my fave vegan bloggers. Make this healthy version of your fave candy bar, and you won’t miss the mega-unhealthy version.

3-Ingredient Halloween Apple Bites by Oh She Glows

Angela at Oh She Glows is one of the first food bloggers I started to follow. She’s got a massive following now with her best-selling books and delish vegan recipes. These are easy and awesome for kids to do too!

Raw Vegan Witch Fingers by The Full Helping

A rendition of your usual witch fingers (because who doesn’t make witch fingers annually?), but pretty darn good for ya!

Graveyard Taco Cups by Fork and Beans

Zesty, Mexican theme-party must haves I’d say. Not dessert, but definitely needed for the halloween spread.

Raw Candy Pops by The Rawtarian

Raw with all the nutrients intact, and crazy simple with just a few ingredients!

Bloody Cups by Elephantastic Vegan

Like peanut butter cups but bloody. Just 3 ingredients too! We like simple.

Spooky Guacamole and Corn Chips by Raw.Vegan.Not Gross

Laura Miller is hilarious. And so is this vid. Hopefully it inspires you to dress up and make food.

Stuffed Jack-O-Lanterns by The Healthful Pursuit

Why leave carving to just pumpkins? Here’s a gutsy idea for a halloween-y dinner.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Ghosts by Feasting on Fruit

These are high-carb, low fat, and oh-so-spooky.

Raw Pumpkins by Girl Gone Raw

Raw, good for you, and delish.

Oh My Raw Caramel Apples by Rawesome Vegan Life

Emily is the queen of decadent vegan desserts, and I just had to add this one in here because, even though it’s not spooky… it screams Fall and sweetness… plus, I just had to feature Emily because a dessert post round-up without her would be criminal.

Dairy Free Pumpkin Cheesecake by To Die For

OK, again, I know this isn’t really halloween-themed, besides the pumpkin in there. But I had to include a dessert from Erin, because she is just amazing and she posts some of the most drooool-worthy recipes.

Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding by The Pure Life

One more fall-flavoured dessert, minus the halloween theme… Only because I want to give a shout out to Sisley! These flavours will taste like halloween, don’t you worry. You could even add some creepy eyeballs to a bowl of this on the treat table to do the trick.

Tag me if you make these! @hookedonplants on instagram.

I love seeing your recipes.

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Grateful Fred Stuffed Tofu Turkey | Vegan Holiday Feast

October 3, 2018 By julia Leave a Comment

The holidays are all about love, connection, community, cheersing and good times. The food and the love that goes into it is always big part of all the festivities. So, this Thanksgiving, here’s a stuffed tofu turkey recipe to spread the love, and fall in love with…without the cost of the turkey, Fred (he’s grateful).

Turkey shmurkey. Ham shmam. Steak shmeak.

Eating plant-based during a holiday dinner party isn’t always an easy task, that is unless you bring this comfort-food recipe of a lifetime!

I wanted to help you create something that won’t be a compromise… and may even be just as popular at the Thanksforgivin’er shindig than your Auntie’s turkey pie!

If you’re looking for a pre-made option, Gardein makes a delicious ‘stuffed turkey’ (use CRVAN-MURJUB to shop at Spud to get 2 free ones in your order), and Tofurky does too.

But, if you want to go the cooking route and put as much of that love ingredient in there as possible, look no further!

Fred is thankful he can live out that Turkey life of his, and the fam will be thankful that the vegan doesn’t bring carrot sticks to the comfort-food party!

This turned out really well. The outside is browned, the inside is tasty with pecan stuffing, and the overall feel is incredibly turkey dinner-like.

Top it all off with this mushroom gravy, and this mashed cauliflower for your tastebuds to explode.

Pin this!

Other ideas for a Holiday dinner recipes… Meatless Balls, Whole Roasted Cauliflower, Mashed Butternut Swirl, Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake, or this Apricot Butternut Lentil Loaf (an oldie but a goodie).

Pin this!

Grafeful Fred Stuffed Tofu Turkey

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Prep time

45 mins

Cook time

1 hour 45 mins

Total time

2 hours 30 mins

A perfect replacement for Fred the Turkey for a holiday feast! This pecan stuffing rolled up in a tofu 'turkey' will shine on the centre of the dinner table.

Author: Jules

Recipe type: thanksgiving, holiday, christmas, dinner

Cuisine: holiday, thanksgiving

Serves: 8

Ingredients

Tofu Turkey:
4 blocks organic firm tofu (each 350g)
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
1 tsp salt
2½ cups of vegan stuffing (recipe below)
3-4 tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos (for basting)
Vegan Pecan Stuffing (makes enough for stuffing the tofu turkey, plus a side dish):
8 cups bread of choice, cubed
1 cup large yellow onion, chopped
1½ cups celery, chopped
7-8 white mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp dried thyme, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 tbsp fresh sage, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
½ cup pecans, chopped
½ tsp Pink Himalayan or sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
Goes well with this Mushroom Gravy

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F
Press tofu: Place a layer of paper towel on a plate, then the tofu cubes, then another couple layers of paper towel, then a cutting board, then a bowl filled with water. Let sit for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better)
Meanwhile, make the stuffing! Start by spreading the cubed bread out over a cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes (stir at the 10 minute mark), until it's dry...smells so good.
In a large pot, oil-free sauté the onions, celery and mushrooms for 5 minutes (just add a bit of the veggie broth if it's sticking), until softened. Add the herbs and salt and pepper. Mix it up, then add 1½ cups of broth. Add the bread and mix everything well. The stuffing should be moist, but not soaking wet. If your stuffing is still a little dry, keep adding a bit of veggie broth until it's moist (you shouldn't need more than 2 cups total)
Set aside 2½ cups of stuffing for the turkey filling.
Pour the rest of the stuffing into a baking dish and bake in the oven for 25 minutes (hello side dish!)
Prepare your 'turkey' zone: Lay out 2 sheets of tin foil, side by side overlapping about 3 inches, with a layer of parchment on top. The parchment paper should be about 15 inches long by 13 inches wide, with the tinfoil as a border beneath it.
Time to make the 'turkey': To go easy on your food processor, start by blending half of all the tofu turkey ingredients together (except for the stuffing and Bragg's liquid aminos) for at least 1 minute in your food processor, or until a dough-like ball starts to form. Place that mixture as a ball on the parchment paper.
Then, blend the other half of all the tofu turkey ingredients (again, except for the stuffing and Bragg's liquid aminos) in the food processor, and add it to the pile on the parchment.
Spread out the tofu mixture into a ½ - ¾ inch thick rectangle (about 8x12")
Spoon the 2½ cups of stuffing into the middle of the tofu rectangular 'turkey' in a lengthwise tube shape.
Use the parchment paper to roll one side of the tofu turkey over the stuffing, then the other side until the tofu turkey just overlaps. Give it a nice squeeze to make sure it's all overlapping by at least 1 inch.
Unwrap it and fold the ends. Use your fingers to press down any open areas, or cracks.
Pour Bragg's liquid aminos over top and use basting brush to cover the whole turkey.
Then wrap it up with the parchment and tinfoil nice and tight, folding on top and twisting the ends (so it looks like a tootsie roll turkey)
Bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Let cool 15 minutes, then place in the fridge.
When you're ready to serve it, take it out of the fridge, slice in 1 inch slices, wrap it back up and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F.
Serve with the mushroom gravy from this recipe and this cauliflower mash!
Happy Holidays! The Turkey's thank you!

Notes

*Great to make ahead of time, then store in the fridge until you're ready to put it in the oven for 30 more minutes before serving
*If you want to make it right before, just skip the fridge part, and keep it in the oven for another 15-30 minutes, then slice when it comes out!

Quarter Pounder Red Lentil Rice Veggie Burgers | Gluten-Free

September 20, 2018 By julia Leave a Comment

It’s burger o’clock! Maybe you caught this recipe over on my instastories (@hookedonplants)? I completely wung it, and it completely worked out (love when that happens). These red lentil rice veggie burgers are not only a complete protein, but also packed with flavour and easy to whip up.

There’s a few things you should always have in the fridge, ready to grab:

A cooked grain
A cooked legume
A sauce
Greens

Have these 4 magical ingredients ready to go, and the whole ‘last minute dinner’ freak out thing is a lot less dramatic.

And the possibility of last minute creations like this actually come into fruition is at an all time high.

The universal problem with veggie burgers is:
The squish-outta-the-bun issue. Know what I mean?

They can taste amazing, but the texture just isn’t there.

Well, after the pan-fry, the longer you leave these patties in the oven, the stiffer the texture you will have to bite down on.

The first round we did 20 minutes, without flipping half way. Not enough.

30 minutes (flipping half way through) did the trick, but 40 minutes gives you even more of a stay-together kinda patty. Crispy outside, soft inside. That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

Red Lentil Rice Burgers

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

50 mins

A flavourful veggie burger that won't squish outta your bun.

Author: Jules

Recipe type: burgers, dinner, lunch

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Burger Patties:
2 cups brown rice, cooked
2 cups red lentils, cooked
2 cloves, garlic
¼ cup red onion, chopped
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp tamari
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
Extra:
1 tsp coconut oil
Burger Sauce:
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup vegan mayo (from Hellmans or Veganaise or Sir Kensington's)
1 tbsp onion powder (or chipotle!)
Burger fixin's:
Buns (or use a collard green wrap)
Vegan Cheese (I use Violife or sliced Gusta Blockor Sheese Cheese ~ all of the melt deliciously)
Tomato, sliced
Avocado, sliced
Sprouts of choice
Romaine or spinach
Sauerkraut
Pickles, sliced
Caramelized Balsamic Oil-Free Onions (optional):
3-4 sweet onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup balsamic
½ cup water (might not need it all, but have it on hand if it's sticking)

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F
Make caramelized onions (optional and not included in cooking time (yummy but takes some time): heat a wide pot or deep pan to medium heat. Throw in all of the onions and let brown for a few minutes. De-glaze with a bit of water. Do this a couple of times. Add balsamic vinegar. Turn heat down to low. Let them simmer for up to 1 hour (could just go for 15 minutes, but the longer you go, the deeper the caramelization). Check them every 15 minutes. If they're sticking to the bottom of the pot, just add a bit more water or balsamic.
Blend all burger ingredients (except for ½ cup of the red lentils) together until nearly smooth in your food processor. Add the rest of the lentils at the end and pulse.
Form the mixture into 6 patties on a parchment covered baking sheet.
Heat a pan to medium heat, and melt the coconut oil.
Fry the patties for 3 minutes on each side.
Place the patties on the baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway. Go for 40 minutes if you want a dryer, stiffer patty!
For the last 2-3 minutes of baking, place cheese slices on the patties to melt and the sliced buns on the pan to get toasty.
Assemble the burger to your liking!

Tag me if you make it ( @hookedonplants on instagram)! I love seeing your recipes.

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This week’s email was the so-called ‘healthy’ egg (not so healthy…)

Nacho Cheeze Fries… with a secret ingredient | Vegan + GF

September 6, 2018 By julia Leave a Comment

Cheezy Poutine? Potato Nachos? Secretly Nutritious Cheese Fries? I DID NOT KNOW what to call this masterpiece. But, I think Nacho Cheeze Fries says it all, ya?

It’s nachos, but with fries.

It’s cheezy, but it’s a special cheeze sauce.

It’s mega nutrient-dense with the hidden ingredient of… red lentils!!!!

Red lentils are nutritional powerhouses, plus they have the magic ability to morph into a creamy sauce. In other words, they deserve to be the star secret ingredient to most things, especially this super delish, comfort-food kinda meal.

If you’re looking for a sneaky way to pump more plant protein into your kids (and yourself), look no further.

This is a good one for a back to school week dinner in 30 minutes.

Serve it up with a side salad, or integrate the salad into the meal by wrapping each cheezy fry in a romaine leaf (my go-to lazy dinner).

You can get creative with your toppings too. I used smoked tofu (found at most grocery stores), for some smokiness and ‘meatiness’, and green onion to keep it fresh. Go for it though! Here’s some more ideas for toppers:

corn
beans
edamame
red pepper
artichokes
sautéed mushrooms
caramelized onions
veggie ground
cashew sour cream
pulled jackfruit

What ever you do, please show me by tagging @hookedonplants on instagram. I love seeing your recipes!

Nacho Cheeze Fries with a secret ingredient

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

Satisfying in flavour and comfort, with secretly hidden nutrition! These nacho cheeze fries are a fun switch up to the typical nacho platter, with red lentil cheese sauce stealing the show. (Prep time doesn't include the optional lentil soaking)

Author: Jules

Recipe type: dinner, lunch, snack

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Fries:
4 russet potatoes OR 2 large sweet potatoes, rinsed, scrubbed and dried, then sliced in ¼ inch thick fry shape
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp avocado or coconut oil
½ tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt
Toppings:
½ block smoked tofu, diced
2 green onions, diced
1 jalepeno pepper, sliced in thin rounds
Salsa of choice for the side
Red Lentil Cheese Sauce:
1 cup red lentils (soaked a few hours if possible, then rinsed, for best nutrition and digestion)
1½ cup water or veggie stalk
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup nutritional yeast
¼ cup soy milk, unsweetened, unflavoured
**optional: ¼ cup vegan mayo for extra creaminess

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 425°F
Mix the chopped potatoes with the oil and spices (except the salt!) in a bowl until evenly coated. Spread them out on a parchment-covered (or reusable baking sheet-covered) baking pan so they aren't touching each other!
Bake for 30-40 minutes, on the middle rack, flipping the fries over half way through.
Season with salt when they're done.
Meanwhile, cook the lentils: Add the lentils to the pot with 1½ cups liquid, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes (15 minutes if they weren't pre-soaked)
Make the Red Lentil Cheeze Sauce: add the cooked lentils, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, nutritional yeast, mayo (if using), and soy milk to your blender and blend until smooth. Once blended, mix in the smoked tofu chunks.
Layer it up to serve! Fries first, then cheeze sauce, then green onion and jalepeno. Enjoy!

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This week was a round up of must-see documentaries!

Vegan Hemp Pesto Pasta Salad | GF + Oil-Free + Ready in 20

August 30, 2018 By julia Leave a Comment

This is the meanest, greenest vegan hemp pesto pasta salad on the block!

Super flavour-y brilliance without the parm, oil, or gluten. BOOM.

To do list: make the pesto, boil the pasta, throw in some flavourful colours and you have yourself a meal!

Not only does this bode well for potluck-style weddings (which is what our weekends have been filled with this month), but it’s also a saviour when it comes to busy weeks and last minute dinners. Just make a TON of this goodness and your week will be stress-free in the food realm.

Serve it up with a big ol’ salad drizzled with this dressing, and spruce it up by adding different proteins each night (tempeh, smoked tofu, seitan or sausage slices, anything gardein, veggie burger chunks… you get the drift).

Easy & plant-based… that’s what it’s all about!

BY THE WAY:

I’m working away at an e-book for you guys!

All you need to know about being plant-based for a week with 30 recipes, nutrition tips, and a whole week of meals planned out for you.
My goal is to make this plant-based lifestyle as fun and easy as possible for as many people as possible. I hope this e-book will to be the ultimate guide for YOU to achieve that🙂

Get in touch with me on Instagram by tagging @hookedonplants and #plantsforaweek and let me know what questions you have about this lifestyle that you want to be answered in my E-book! I’d LOVE to hear from you!

~~~

Vegan Hemp Pesto Pasta Salad

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Cook time

12 mins

Total time

12 mins

A pesto pasta dish to please the whole family, or just you for a whole week!! This stuff is great for leftovers, and shines at those potluck dinners.

Author: Jules

Recipe type: pasta, ready in 20, easy dinner

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 package of your favourite pasta noodles (go for 2 ingredient pasta like fusilli with brown rice and water), cooked according to directions
10 kalamata olives, chopped
1 jar artichoke hearts, chopped
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3 basil leaves for garnish
Pesto:
2 cups of packed fresh basil
¼ cup tahini
½ cup nutritional yeast
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup hemp seeds
2 cloves garlic
⅛ tsp each salt + pepper
⅓ cup water

Instructions

Make pesto: blend all pesto ingredients together in your food processor
Mix the pesto, pasta noodles, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes together in a large bowl, then top with extra basil leaves.

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This week was all about you and your relationship with you GUT. SO interesting!

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